From “Slow Hands” To “Kiwi”: We Rank Every Solo One Direction Song

Mike Nied | November 27, 2019 10:00 am

The boys of One Direction have been busy since going on hiatus in early 2016. In the years that followed, ZAYN, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne have all embarked on solo careers. And the superstars have all explored a variety of different sounds in the process. By early 2020, each member will have dropped at least one album. Which means that it’s the perfect time to look back and rank all of the singles we’ve gotten so far. How does “Slow Hands” compare to “Strip That Down” or “Pillowtalk”? What about “Two Of Us” and “Sign Of The Times”? Dive into our ranking below and find out.

Also, make sure to bookmark this story. We’ll get it updated with each new release. Right now it’s current through “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart,” but we have a feeling that more is on the way.

51. “Get Low” – Liam Payne feat. Zedd

“Hands on your waist, let’s go.”

Nothing about this instantly dated dud worked when it dropped, and it hasn’t gotten better with age.

50. “Strip That Down” – Liam Payne feat. Quavo

“You know I used to be in 1D.”

Liam’s released some great songs since going solo, and it is hard to fathom how “Strip That Down” remains his most successful. It’s great to toss on a mindless gym mix but not much else.

49. “First Time” – Liam Payne feat. French Montana

“Girl you a savage, you ain’t no lady.”

It’s just easier to forget the entire First Time EP exists seeing as it brings nothing new to the table.

48. “A Whole New World” – ZAYN feat. Zhavia or Becky G

“I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering, splendid.”

ZAYN’s interpretation of “A Whole New World” is perfectly nice. However, even the Spanglish version with Becky G feels too much like karaoke to warrant a spot higher on this list.

47. “Just Like You” – Louis Tomlinson

“Yeah, I get sad, too.”

Louis makes some points about how we’ll never understand the life of a massive star. However, instead of making him more relatable this comes across as slightly grating and contrived.

46. “Entertainer” – ZAYN

“Don’t you play me for a fool. In this game I own the rules.”

One of the approximately 300 singles ZAYN dropped off Icarus Falls, this petty bop doesn’t measure up quite as well as some of the other options.

45. “Polaroid” – Liam Payne feat. Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella

“We loved and got lost in the moment.”

Liam’s collaboration with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella features a deceptively bright production that offsets the bittersweet edge associated with a fleeting connection.

44. “Fingers” – ZAYN

“My fingers ain’t working, but my heart is.”

None of the One Direction boys do doom and gloom as well as ZAYN as evidenced by his shadowy commentary on love and loss in the digital age.

43. “No Candle No Light” – ZAYN feat. Nicki Minaj

“Can’t handle my love, can’t handle your lies.”

Z’s collaboration with Nicki Minaj got lost in the onslaught of promotional singles. And it’s not hard to understand why. There’s nothing wrong with the synth-driven anthem, but the superstar pair is capable of more.

42. “Still Got Time” – ZAYN feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR

“Come give it to me.”

This duet with PARTYNEXTDOOR features a danceable beat and one of ZAYN’s more uplifting themes. It’s a shame it never got much of a push because it likely could have enjoyed a respectable run on the charts.